Magnetic window-cleaning device



y 1950 R. D'ANDREA MAGNETIC WINDOW CLEANING DEVICE Filed May 6, 1949 INVEN D'AND By 7 5 v w Rocco ATTORNB-YS Patented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in cleaning devices, and more particularly to a device by means of which the outside of a window pane or other inaccessible surface may be cleaned.

I provide a pair of cleaning elements provided with permanent magnets and adapted to be placed on both sides of a window pane or similar surface to be cleaned. When one cleaning element is rubbed against the inside surface of the pane, the magnetic field causes the other element to move correspondingly. Thus, both surfaces of the window pane may be cleaned simultaneously.

The prior art reveals several attempts to devise cleaning means of this sort. These devices have invariably been limited to the use of portable electro-magnets, which are subject to the following disadvantages: 1. The manufacturing cost of electro-magnets has been too great to enable such cleaning devices to become common household items. 2. The devices were heavy, inconvenient to set up for use, and could only be used on direct current. 3. Cleaning means of this sort could not be used effectively with water.

Up to this time, there has been no evidence of a cleaning device of this type which was provided with permanent magnets, although the use of permanent magnets would enable such devices to be sold at a low cost. This is evidently due to the fact that a device incorporating permanent magnets and made according to the teachings of the prior art could not operate. In the prior devices, the magnet was located inside the window pane, and a pad containing a magnetically-permeable metal was used on the outside of the window pane. The field created by a permanent magnet would therefore be too weak to retain the outside cleaning element against the pane during the cleaning operation. In addition, water or other liquids could not be used effectively with the flat pads provided, since it would tend to form a vacuum between the flat pad and the surface of the window, causing the pad to lag behind the moving inside magnet, so that the pad would 2 vention are set forth in the following description and drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood that the above statement of the objects of my invention is intended generally to explain the same without limiting it in any manner.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the cleaning device of my invention showing the manner in which the cleaning elements thereof are positioned in use against a window pane W.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cleaning element which is used to clean the outside surface of a window pane;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the cleaning elements constituting the cleaning device; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the method by which the cleaning device is operated to clean a window pane.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the cieanlng device comprises an inner cleaning element ill and an outer cleaning element it. The inner cleanin element H3 is adapted to be used to clean an accessible surface such as the inside surface of a window pane while the outer cleaning element is adapted to clean an inaccessible surface such as the outside surface of a window pane. Figs. 1 and 5 show the relative positions of the elements it and l I when used to clean a window pane W.

The cleaning'member 10 comprises a heavy and powerful permanent magnet 13 which is preferably an Alnico magnet or any other type of alloy of similar strength. Said magnet I! may be of horse-shoe shape as shown in the drawings, or it may be of any other desired shape which will operate as efliciently. Magnet l3 may, for convenience of handling, be housed in a casing l2 which is preferably open at one end. The polar ends of the magnet I: are alined with the open end of said casing [2, as shown in Fig. 1.

Casing i2 is made of a magnetically impermeable material such as copper, brass, wood, plastic, or the like, so that it will not shunt, or otherwise interfere with the field of the magnet I3. Magnet I3 is preferably press-fit within casing l2 although it may also be adhesively secured, or attached in any other suitable manner.

Casing I2 is preferably provided with an enlarged end portion |2a which serves as a. handle or gripping portion of cleaning element Ill.

Cleaning element I0 is also provided with a trough-shaped cleaning pad or cloth I4 which is shaped to fit snugly over the open end of casing l2. Pad H' is preferably made of a piece of thick woolen fabric which is stitched together at its sides to form upstanding walls Ila. The

' walls Ila fit snugly against the side walls of casa small permanent magnet II. The pouch I5 is made of a heavy woolen material. For economy of manufacture, I prefer to use a single piece of wool fabric folded in half and closed along its edges by marginal rows of stitching I8. The pockets I6 can be made simply by providing longitudinal rows of stitching I9 which are preferable equally spa-red. In the drawings, the pouch I5 is shown with three such pockets I6, but it is to be understood that any number of pockets may be provided, depending on the size of the cleaning member II and the size of the magnets H to be contained therein.

The magnets II are preferably Alnico cylindrical bar-magnets having a diameter of inch. These magnets are light, but have a stron magnetic field. Pockets I6 of pouch I5 are of such a size that each magnet I1 is snugly housed within its respective pocket, being held in a parallel, spaced relationship to the other magnets I'I. Said magnets are inserted within their respective pockets with like poles adjacent one another, so that the north-seeking poles of magnets I! are alined at one end of pouch I5, while the southseeking poles are alined at the other end thereof.

In use, the cleaning member II is pressed against the outside of a window pane W, or similar surface to be cleaned, and the cleaning member I0 is pressed against the inside of the window pane, with the cleaning pad I4 abutting said window pane, and in register with cleaning member II. The south-seeking pole of magnet I3 is alined opposite the north-seeking poles of magnets so that the magnetic field between said poles retains cleaning member II firmly pressed against the window pane W. When cleaning member III is slid along the window pane in any direction, this magnetic field, passing through said window pane, will cause cleaning member II to follow. As cleaning member ID, therefore, is rubbed over the entire inner surface of the window pane, cleaning member I I will also move over the entire outer surface of the window pane. Both surfaces of said window pane may thus be cleaned simultaneously.

It is to be noted that the length and width of the cleaning elements III and II are preferably equal, so that said elements may be alined in registering position with the poles of their respective magnets also in alinement. The depth of cleaning element III is, however, appreciably greater than the depth of cleaning element II, said cleaning element I0 being thus adapted to contain a large and powerful permanent magnet. The cleaning element I I'is, on the other hand, relatively flat, and the magnets I'I contained therein are small in size, so that said cleaning element II is light enough to be retained against the window pane and to be easily moved.

In actual use, I prefer to use a pair of cleaning pads or cloths I4, and a pair of cleaning elements I I. One of said cleaning pads I 2 is slipped over the end of easing I2 and is dipped in a suitable cleaning preparation such as glass-cleaning wax. One of the cleaning elements II is also dipped in the wax. The cleaning elements I0 and II are applied to their respective surfaces of the window pane W, and the wax may be distributed over both surfaces of the window pane as shown at L in Fig. 5 by moving the inside cleaning element I0 over the surface of the window pane. After a coating of wax has been applied to the entire window pane, the wax-impregnated pad I4 is slipped off the casing I2, and is replaced by the dry pad. The dry cleaning element II is also substituted for the wax-impregnated element, and the cleaning elements It and II are again used in a similar manner to wipe the wax coating from the window pane.

The pad III and the pouch are made of a heavy woolen fabric since I have found that best operating results are afforded by this material. Wool fabric absorbs and holds a large amount of cleaning wax and enables the wax to pass readily to that portion of the fabric which abuts the window pane. The woolen fabric also has an afilnity for sliding over the surface of the window pane without sticking.

I prefer to use a liquid wax cleanin composition, since, as was previously indicated, the use of water tends to create a vacuum between the outer cleaning element and the surface of the window. Liquid wax, however, may be ea ily distributed over the window pane surface in a thin coating and does not have this tendency to cause the outside cleaning element to stick or move sluggishly. Furthermore. the liquid wax does not cause rusting of the magnets contained in the cleaning elements, as is the case with water.

To prevent any possibilit of creating a vacuum should the cleaning element I I be too heavily saturated with wax, I use several small magnets in the cleaning element II instead of one large magnet. Since these magnets II are snugly contained in the pockets I6, each pocket I6 presents an outwardly protruding surface or bulge. Between these bulges are longitudinal grooves or depressions 20, at the center of which the longitudinal rows of stitching III are located, as shown in Fig. 3. When the cleaning element II is held firmly against the window pane by the magnetic lines of force, it will be readily seen that only the bulging surfaces of the pouch I I will abut said window pane. Since air can circulate through the longitudinal depressions or grooves 20, no vacuum can be formed between the window pane and the cleaning element II. If desired, a single, fiat bar-magnet may be employed and the bulges and depressions provided in pounch I 5 by padding the walls of said pouch. The same result may be obtained by using a magnet provided with alternate ridges and channels.

The use of magnets in both cleaning elements I0 and II provides a magnetic field which is sufliciently strong for effective operation, even though said cleaning elements are spaced from each other. To prevent the outside cleaning element II from accidentally dropping off the window pane and possibly injuring passers-by, a string 2| may be attached to one end of said cleaning element. The other end of the string may be attached to the cleaning member III, or to an object inside the room, or may merely be held by the user.

To insure the proper alinement of the poles of magnets I3 and II, the cleaning elements I0 and ll may be marked with suitable indlcia to indicate opposite poles of said magnets.

The cleaning elements In and H are made rectangular in shape so that they may clean the corners of the window pane.

-While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it is obvious that numerous additions, changes, and alterations may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. For instance, the cleaning pouch l and the cleaning pad l4 may be made of a chemically-treated material which is used for cleaning purposes and to which no water or other cleaning agent need be added.

I claim:

1. For use in cleaning a window pane, a cleaning device which comprises a first cleaning element and a second cleaning element, said first cleaning element having a permanent magnet, and a liquid-impregnable covering for said magnet, said first cleaning element being adapted to be held against said window pane with the covering abutting the inner surface of said window pane and the poles of said magnet proximate to said window pane, said second cleaning element comprising a pouch-like covering made of a liquid impregnable material, and at least one permanent magnet housed in said covering, said second cleaning element being adapted to be oriented against the outer surface of said window pane with the poles of the contained magnet oppositely alined with the poles of the magnet of said first cleaning element, the wall of said pouch-like covering adjacent said window pane having protruding portions which abut said window pane, and depressions between said protruding portions, said magnets-having a. sufficiently strong field and the second cleaning element being suificiently light in weight to enable said second cleaning element in its oriented position to be held firmly against the outer surface of the window pane by said magnetic field and to follow the movement of said first cleaning element against said window pane.

2. A cleaning device according to claim 1 in which the pouch-like covering of the second cleaning element is made of a woolen fabric material.

3. For use in cleaning a window pane, a cleaning device which comprises a first cleaning element and a second cleaning element, said first cleaning element having a permanent magnet, and a liquid impregnable covering for said magnet, said first cleaning element being adapted to be held against said window pane with the covering abutting the inner surface of said window pane and the poles of said magnet proximate to said window pane, said second cleaning element comprising a pouch-like covering member made of a liquid-impregnable material and having a plurality of pockets arranged substantially parallel to each other, and a, ermanent bar-magnet housed in each of said pockets, said bar-magnets being held within said pockets with the northseeking poles thereof aligned at one end of the covering member, said second cleaning element being adapted to be oriented against the outer surface of the window pane with the poles of its contained magnets oppositely alined with the poles of the first cleaning element magnet, said pockets being of such a size that the contained magnets cause the wall of said covering member to bulge adjacent the center of each pocket, and

to form a depression between said pockets, said depressions running from one end of the covering member to the other, said magnets having a sufficiently strong field and the second cleaning element being sufiiciently light in weight to enable said second cleaning element in its oriented position to be held firmly against the inner surface of the window pane by said magnetic field, and to follow the movement of said first cleaning element against said window pane.

4. A cleaning device according to claim 3 in which the pouch-like covering member of the second cleaning element is made of a woolen fabric material.

5. For use in cleaning a window pane, a cleaning device which comprises a first cleaning element and a second cleaning element, said first cleaning element having a permanent magnet, a casing enclosing said magnet, and a troughshaped cleaning pad removably secured over that end of saidcasing adjacent both poles of said magnet, said first cleaning element being adapted to be held against said window pane with the cleaning pad abutting the inner surface of the window pane and the poles of the magnet proximate to said inner surface, said second cleaning element comprising a, closed, pouch-like covering member made of a liquid. impregnable material and having a series of longitudinally-disposed parallel pockets which extend the length of said covering member, and a permanent bar-magnet filling each of said pockets, said bar-magnets being disposed within said pockets with the northseeking holes thereof alined at one end of said covering member, said second cleaning element being adapted. to be oriented against the outer surface of said window pane with the poles of its contained magnets oppositely alined with the respective poles of the first cleaning element, the magnets of said second cleaning element of sulficient diameter to cause the outer wall of said covering member topresent longitudinal bulging portions over said pockets, said covering member having longitudinally disposed depressions between said pockets, said bulging portions abutting the window pane surface in the oriented position of said second cleaning element, said magnets having a suificiently strong field and the second cleaning element being sufliciently light in weight to enable said second cleaning element in its oriented position to be held firmly against the inner surface of the window pane by said magnetic field, and to follow the movement of said first cleaning element against said window pane. 6. A cleaning device according to claim 5 in which the pouch-like covering member of the second cleaning element is made of a woolen fabric material.

ROCCO DANDREA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:-

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,357,869 Howard Nov. 2, 1920 1,603,175 Weiz Oct. 12, 1926 1,758,723 A Thatcher May 13, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 31,958 Norway Mar. 14, 1921 

